DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 371 436 EA 025 707
AUTHOR Scoggins, A. Juhe; Bishop, Harold L.
TITLE A Review of the Literature Rogarding the Roles andResponsibilities of Assistant Principals.
PUB DATE Nov 93NOTE 56p.; Paper pl.esented at the Annual Meeting of the
MidSouth Educational Research Association (22nd, NewOrleans, LA, November 10-12, 1993).
PUB TYPE Reports Evaluative/Feasibility (142) Information
Analyses (070) Speeches/Conference Papers (150)
EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS *Administrator Effectiveness; *Administrator Role;*Assistant Principals; Elementary SecondaryEducation; *School Effectiveness
ABSTRACTThe role of the assistant principal, complete with
duties and responsibilities, has not yet been successfully defined.Although assistant principals are often limited to responsibilitiessuch as discipline or bus duty, their role should encompass muchmore. Assistant principals want to be more than disciplinarians; they
want to be included in the instructional operations and have a set of
respectable responsibilities. This chapter reviews the literature andfinds numerous duties and responsibilities carried cut by assistantprincipals. Although no precise list of duties exists, 26 of theauthors related 20 duties common to the assistant principal,including-discipline, attendance, student activities, athletics,community agencies, master schedules, principal substitute, buildingoperations, budget, reports, transportation, curriculum,communications, cafeteria, school calendar, and locks and lockers.According to the literature, it is impossible for one person to carryout all these duties and responsibilities. The literature furthershows that the principal largely determines the assistant principal'sjob assignments. Although the assistant principal position isconsidered by many to be the stepping stone to the principalship, itis also considered by others to be a bona fide administrative careerposition in itself. A summary table is included. Contains 75references. (MLH)
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A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE REGARDING THE ROLES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES OF ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
by
A. JUNE SCOGGINS
and
HAROLD L. BISHOP
BEST COPY AVAILARLE
U.S. IMPARTMENT OF (DUCATION°Fru/ of Educationai Research and Improvement
E iTICATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER !ERIC)
This document has IMen reproduCed asmeowed Imm the person or organizationOriginating it
0 Munro( changes have been made lo rrnprovereproduchon oulhty
Points of ate* or opinions staled in this documint do not neCissaray represent (ArenaOERI portion or policy
2
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
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TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Introduction
The role of the assistant principal, complete with
duties and responsibilities, is, as yet, unsuccessfully
defined. Buckner and Jones (1990) have stated that
assistant principals are often limited to responsibilities
such as discipline or bus duty. The role should, however,
include much more. Assistant principals want to be more
than just disciplinarians; they want to be included in the
instructional aspects of the school. Assistant principals
do not want to do only the jobs that principals do not want
to do; they want to have a set of responsibilities that are
respectable. According to Reed and Conners (1982), "The
character of the high school vice principalship has been a
steady and continuous theme in educational journals
beginning in 1926 and continuing to the present" (p. 465).
The Roles and Characteristics of Principals
Before the duties and responsibilities of the assistant
principal can be defined, or redefined, one must understand
the role of the principal. Much research has been done on
effective schools citing the duties and responsibilities of
principals in effective schools. In 1980, Blumberg and
Greenfield observed that there were several roles and
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responsibilities of the principal. These two men reseerched
several studies completed by other researchers like
Knezevich (1975), Lipham and Hoeh (1974), and Roe and Drake
(1974). Based upon these studies, the following things were
found:
In 1975, Knezevich (cited in Blumberg & Greenfield,
1980) suggested that "more and more the principal is
recognized as an executive or administrator and the
principalship as a constellation of positions" (p. 394). He
further stated that the principal could no longer fulfill
all the roles of headmaster and instructional leader, and
that there was no justification for him to do so. It was
concluded that the principalship was a very demanding
position that had "considerable significance in determining
the direction of public education" (pp. 394-395).
Lipham and Hoeh in 1974 (cited in Blumberg &
Greenfield, 1980) looked at the position of principal and
discovered "f!,ve major functional areas of responsibility
for principals: (1) The Instructional Program, (2) Staff
Personnel Services, (3) Student Personnel Services, (4)
Financial-Fiscal Resources, and (5) School-Community
Relationships" (p. 203). They surmised that effective
leadership in these administrative/managerial areas ,dould
result in a well-run organization. They further stated that
good conceptual skills, human relation skills, and technical
skills were necessary for effective school principals.
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4P
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Also in 1974, Roe and Drake (cited in Blumberg &
Greenfield, 1980) combined the roles of
administrator/manager with the role of leadership in
determining the duties and responsibilities of the
principal. They determined ten major responsibilities for
the principal in the administrative\management area and
eleven major responsibilities in the educational leadership
area. The administrative duties include: recor6 keeping,
budget development and control, personnel, discipline,
scheduling, building administration, supplies and equipment
checks, pupil accounts, and monitoring the instructional
process. Among the responsibilities in the educational
leadership area are: motivation of staff, accountability,
improvement of programs, staff evaluation and development,
evaluation of student performance, etc.
Knezevich (1975) saw the principal as an executive
manager, Lipham and Hoeh (1974) saw him as leader, and Roe
and Drake (1974) saw the principal as a combination of
administretor/manager and leader (all cited in Blumberg &
Greenfield, 1980). Today, as in the past, how the principal
perceives the role determines the direction of the
principalship. The principal determines if the position is
to be one of educational leadership, one of
administration/management, or a combination of the two.
Aieta, Barth, and O'Brien (1988) made some statements
about the traditional high school principal. They saw the
principal as a heroic captain of a ship in an authoritarian
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leadership position where life was lonely at the top.
However, those with the "right stuff" would get the job done
by seeing to it that students, teachers, and parents behaved
properly. The principal was to be the leader who ensured
that nothing interfered with doing the job assigned by the
superintendent.
Miller and Lieberman (1982) looked at certain roles
seen as being held by administrators. Among these roles are
omniscient overseer, sifter and sorter of knowledge, pace
setter and routinizer, referee, linker and broker,
translator and transformer, paper pusher, accountant and
clerk, educational leader, and scapegoat. These authors
concluded that there is a huge gap between what the
principal is supposed to be and what the principal actually
is. They saw two worlds for principals: "the world of 'is'
and the world of 'ought" (p. 367).
Data have shown that there are many important
ingredients in successful schools. One of these is the
degree and quality of each principal's leadership (Strother,
1983). Strother concluded that the principal must provide
strong administrative leadership in effective schools.
Clark and Lotto (cited in Strother, 1983) compiled a
list of 53 aspects of a principal's role from an extensive
review of literature on effective schools. They then asked
a group of 11 researchers, analysts, and policy makers to
rank the aspects according to importance (Strother, 1983).
Among the top 53 aspects listed were the following:
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(a) emphasizes student achievement as the primary outcome of
schooling, (b) emphasizes student achievement in basic
skills as the primary program outcome, (c) monitors and
evaluates student progress, (d) communicates organizational
goals clearly, (e) emphasizes acquisition of basic skills as
the central instructional goal of the school,
(f) establishes high standards of performance for students
and for teachers, (g) holds high expectations for student
behaviors and achievements, and (h) holds and conveys high
expectations for teachers' performances in classrooMs. The
11 experts felt that school administrators should possess
"reasonable intelligence, high energy levels, and the strong
desires to succeed" (p. 292).
Leithwood and Montgomery, also cited in Strother, 1983,
stated it another way. Through their review of literature,
they suggested that effective principals: (a) decide who
will participate in innovative school projects, (b) disperse
decision making authority and encourage its use, (c) seek
the advice of staff members on important issues, (d) gain
personal experience by involving themselves directly with
such program activities as in service training,
(e) encourage teachers to evaluate their own professional
competence and to set goals for grants, (f) monitor student
progress closely, and (g) create time for other goal related
work by handling routine matters effectively. They further
stated that the ongoing process of growth produces good
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principals and that they learn how to be effective through
this ongoing process.
Two studies, one by Shakeshaft (1986) and another by
Erickson (1985), dealt with effective leadership from the
stand point of female administrators. The point they made
and the characteristics they felt important for effective
leadership appear to be those that would be important to any
administrator whether male or female. Shakeshaft (1986)
found six themes that emerge as behavior consistently
associated with effective schools. According to Shakeshaft,
these principals were found to:
1. emphasize achievement and convey to teachers
their commitment to fostering academic achievement,
2. set instructional strategies and accept
responsibility for facilitating their accomplishment,
3. provide an orderly atmosphere and ensure that
the school's climate is conducive to learning,
4. frequently evaluate student progress in light
of performance expectations,
5. coordinate instructional programs consistent
with the overall goals of the program and the school, and
6. support teachers with regard to staff development.
Erickson (1985) found that there is conflict in the
role of the principal for the female. She stated that the
role of principal calls for characteristics usually seen as
masculine. These characteristics include the following:
assertiveness, strength, the ability to remain cool and to
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control one's emotions, and independence. Erickson said
that the female administrator is seen as a composed, self-
confident, and knowledgeable professional in her field;
sensitive and assertive; and striving to appear efficient,
capable, and aware. The female administrator is driven to
achieve and is learning when to lead and when to follow.
She makes changes slowly and knows that leadership must be
earned.
Farris (1989) felt that principals, whether male or
female, should possess certain basic qualities or
characteristics in order to carry out administrative duties
and responsibilities. Among those qualities listed by this
researcher are loyalty, courage, commitment, timing,
competitiveness, self-confide,nce, accountability,
responsibility, credibility, drive, dependability, and
stewardship. Based on these assumptions, she felt that
Atilla the Hun would have been a GREAT principal!
Brown and Rentschler (1973) also listed some
characteristics of the pxincipalship that they felt were
important. While their list was not stated in the same
terms as that of Farris, many of the same ideas can be
inferred. Brown and Rentschler included leadership,
administrative ability, poise, personality, health, and
emotional stability among their list of characteristics
important to effective principals.
"The Myth of the Great Principal" (Rallis & Highsmith,
1986) provided a look at school management and instructional
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leadership as "two different tasks that cannot be performed
well by a single individual" (p. 300). They stated that
before the 1950s, principals were seen as educational
leaders of their buildings. During the 1950s and 1960s, the
emphasis became one of management--budget, personnel, and
public relations. The ability of the principal to manage
both roles, according to Rallis and Highsmith (1986), is
difficult if not impossible. Rallis and Highsmith (1986)
stated that an effective instructional leader must be a
visionary; must be able to see and communicate the need to
move ahead, to get somewhere, and to transform possibilities
into beliefs that everyone can share; and must be able to
provide a focus for the solutions to problems.
While all of the authors have some different views on
what characteristics an effective principal might have or on
what the duties and responsibilities of an effective
principal might be, some characteristics and duties are
common to all authors' writings. The principal is seen as
the orchestrator of the school, responsible for what goes
on, yet, able to go beyond that and foresee problems that
might arise. The principal emphasizes achievement,
communicates clearly with both teachers and students, and
provides leadership consistent with the goals of the school.
The Impact of the Principal on the Job of the AssistantPrincipal
To 0-termine the roles, duties, and responsibilities of
the assistant principal, one must first explore and
1 0
9
understand how the principal impacts the position of the
assistant principal. Gorton (1987) found that "the
principal is the key to improving the assistant
principalship" (p. 3). He further found that "national
studies and reports can be helpful, but no other entity has
a greater impact on the fortunes of an assistant principal
in a specific school than the principal of that school"
(P. 3)-
Likewise, Rodrick (1986) questioned whether principals
provided assistants with the kind of help, direction,
supervision, and nurturing that increased their chances of
becoming good principals. He further stated that "the
principal has the power and authority to set a limit on the
amount of time assistants spend 'doing' and increase their
time engaged in educational leadership" (p. 92).
Manatt (1989) stated that much of what the assistant
principal does depends on the principal and not on the job
description and that the entire structure of the assistant
principal's position is in the hands of the principal.
Marshall and Mitchell (1991) said that the principal
exercises discretion in assigning the assistant principal
his or her roles and responsibilities and that the assistant
principal is expected to follow the directives of the
principal. McIntyre (1988) stated that "the effectiveness
of assistant principals (APs) depends on the principal's
attitude toward the role of the assistant principal and his
or her definition of the term 'effective'" (p. 1). McIntyre
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also stated that the principal is the key person in the
assistant principal's job performance and that unless the
principal supports the position of assistant principal, the
person occupying the position of assistant principal will be
very disappointed.
In other studies, Calabrese and Tucker-Ladd (1991)
observed that the principal has a responsibility to provide
both personal and professional growth for the assistant
principal by being a mentor. Marshall (1992) said that
assistant principals do many of the same tasks as principals
spending a majority of their time dealing with issues of
school management, student activities and services,
community relations, personnel, and curriculum and
instruction. However, Marshall realized that assistant
principals lack the position, power, and status of
principals and that it is the principal who delegates tasks
and responsibilities to assistant principals.
LaRose (1987) said that when the qualities possessed by
principals and their assistants complement each other, a
stronger leadership is present, and Goodlad (1983) stated
that many new principals are taken out of the classroom in
June and immediately thrown into the new job. There is
little experience that prepares them for this new position.
Building on these two statements, LaRose (1987) looked at
the professional development program for new assistant
principals offered by the Calgary, Alberta, Board of
Education. LaRose (1987) discovered that the program
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contained in-service, mentorship, and observation and thus
bridged the gap between previous roles and the new roles.
Participation was voluntary. Through the use of this
program, it was found that assistant principals increased in
competence in the profession's technical and political
aspects, and that their competence and self-confidence was
bolstered. One pazticipant stated that help was ,J.lways
available.
If the principal is the key person in improving the
assistant principal's job contributions, then should not the
assistant principal have a defined job description, free of
ambiguities allowing the assistant principal to use talents
and expertise in certain areas? Nickerson and Rissmann-
Joyce (1991) found that assistant principals come to the job
with past experiences and talents that can be built upon to
enhance the position. They were once effective teachers who
related well to parents and students and who were interested
in curricular activities.
Gorton (1987) found that most assistant principals are
qualified for and want to play a larg3r leadership role in
the schools. He stated that the school principal is the key
person to maximize the assistant principal's leadership
contribution, that it is the school principal who works more
closely with the assistant principal than any other
individual in the school, and that it is the school
principal who is more important to the professional success
of the assistant principal than any other person. Yet,
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"Critics, both inside and outside the profession, are nearlyunanimous in their criticism of current school
administrative programs, which have remained virtuallystatic for the past quarter of a century" (Smith & Greene,1990, P. 20).
Boyer (1991) stated that "principals are perhaps the
most instrumental in deciding the tasks and assignmwnts that
the assistant principal receives" (p. 6). Boyer felt that
the principal and assistant principal should work together
to determine the roles and responsibilities of the assistant
principal. He further stated that a long range effort by
both principals and assistant principals might result in a
new and, perhaps, better assignment of roles and
responsibilities for the assistant principal.
The Evolution of the Assistant Principal
Panyako and Rorie (1987) found that assistant
principals were originally hired to free the principal of
administrative and management details that are essential but
can be carried out by someone else. Shockley and Smith
(1981) stated it a little differently by saying that
assistant principals were hired during the post war era of
the 1940s to assist the principal in meeting the increasing
demands of the job. The authors further stated that the
purpose of adding the assistant principal was to assist the
principal in his or her job. This should provide more time
for the principal to more effectively meet the demanding
responsibilities of the job. The assistant principalship
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should not change the structure of the principalship. Among
other delegated tasks of the assistant principal were those
tasks that the principal found undesirable.
Along these same lines, Kelly (1987) saw the position
of the assistant principal as having performed the same
duties and responsibilities ever since the position was
created. She referred t:) the study done by Austin and Brown
in 1970, and concluded that the assistant principal's
position is essentially one of helping the principal by
sharing the load, freeing him or her to be the instructional
leader of the school.
The School District's Use of Assistant Principals
Another question one must ask in looking at the role,
duties, and responsibilities of an assistant principal is
"do schools and school districts make maximum use of the
interests and talents of their assistant principals?"
(Gorton, 1987, p. 36). Gorton (1987) felt that there was no
definitive answer to that question. He stated that too
often the answer could be negative. He also found that
assistant principals come to this position with varied
e5,periences and broad qualifications, yet, the major
responsibility of most assistant principals is discipline.
Gorton (1987) also said that most assistant principals would
like to have additional responsibilities in such areas as
curriculum, advising parent groups, public relations, and
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the school budget. He further stated that they do not want
total responsibility, only increased involvement.
Two more recent studies had more to say about the
school district's use of the assistant principal. Studies
by Hartzell (1991) and Nickerson and Rissmann-Joyce (1991)
showed that the school district should consider the talents
and expertise of assistant principals. Hartzell (1991)
found that assistant principals new to a school system or
district should be assigned responsibilities that will allow
the new assistant principal to utilize individual talents.
Nickerson and Rissmann-Joyce (1991) found that assistant
principal's past experiences and talents can be built upon
to enhance the position of assistant principal.
Rodrick (1986) also questioned whether or not
principals are working with assistant principals to achieve
maximum performance. He questioned whether principals
expect assistant principals to "take care of" the loose ends
--the jobs neither the principal nor anyone else wants to
do. Rodrick found typical tasks of assistant principals to
include supervising buses, listening to teachers'
explanations of problems they are having with students,
informing teachers of student placements, hearing students
describe their difficulties with teachers and other
students, consulting with counselors, writing notes
responding to teachers' inquiries, talking with teachers
about their schedules, observing the cafeteria, and checking
out the restrooms. He questioned which of these activities
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was necessary, which ones someone else could do, and what
other alternatives might be available.
Marshall (1992) put it another way when she stated that
the tasks of some assistant principals "are routine, possess
low visibility, lack evaluation and review, and provide no
opportunity for creative, risky projects and thus no
opportunity for special recognition and reward" (p. 10).
Marshall (1992) went on to say that as a disciplinarian, the
assistant principal may not be provided with visibility or
be allowed interaction with people in higher administrative
positions.
According to Panyako and Rorie (1987), when people
refer to the "principal", they refer only to the chief
executive of the school. If this is true, then the
assistant principal or vice principal receives little or no
recognition, prestige, or authority in the school. He or
she may be considered invisible, and this might create
problems for those in assistant principal positions. Reed
and Conners (1982) summarized that since 1926, many of the
studies have addressed the same or similar research
questions: (a) "What is the role of the vice principal?"
(p. 466), (b) "What is the relationship of the role to the
roles of other site administrators?" (p. 466), and (c) "What
is the relationship of the role of the vice principal to the
organizational context and environment of the school?"
(p. 467). Reed and Conners (1982) and Panyako and Rorie
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(1987) saw the need for further research on the role of the
assistant principal.
One of the latest studies by Pellicer and Stevenson
(1991) stated:
If the position of assistant principal is ever toreceive respect commensurate with the importanceof the position to the proper functioning of theschool, the principal will simply have to stopdesigning assistant principal's jobs in isolation,primarily assigning tasks that principals don'twant to do or don't know how to do. (p. 64)
The authors further stated that assistant principals, better
than anyone else, are in a unique position to understand how
their talents and interests can best benefit the school.
Hassenpflug (1991) stated that school systems often
misuse a major resource--that of the assistant principal.
Hassenpflug believes that assistant principals are often
given non-management tasks that can be performed by clerical
staff, teachers, counselors, community agencies, parent
volunteers, or others. This is a waste of the traning and
motivation of these assistant principals.
The Assistant Principalship as a Springboard to thePrincipalship
Another aspect of the assistant principalship that must
be questioned is whether or not the assistant principalship
is seen primarily as a stepping stone or springboard to the
principalship or whether it is a career administrative
position in and of itself. Many researchers and authors
have addressed this issue: Kelly (1987), Valentine (1980),
Potter (1980), and Fulton (1987).
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Kelly (1987) viewed the assistant principalship as a
training ground for the principalship. Kelly stated that
"the literature shows that the typical assistant principal
spends little time on tasks that constitute major
responsibilities of a principal such as the supervision and
evaluation of teachers" (p. 14). Valentine (1980) discussed
the issue of the eventual principalship and stated that he
believes principals have an obligation to groom and develop
their assistants for the principalship. He found, however,
that all too often the principal does not develop the
assistant principal for the principalship.
Potter (1980) also discussed the issue of the eventual
principalship by saying that "for the most part, assistant
principals feel their work experiences should pave the way
for an eventual principalship or some other administrative
position" (p. 9). He went on to say that assistant
principals want to be more involved in the school program.
They do not wish to be "bottom line" administrators.
Fulton (1987) felt even more strongly about the
assistant principalship as a training ground for the
principalship. He stated that "everyone who holds the
position of assistant principalship should strive toward the
principalship" (p. 52). He saw the position as a training
ground and believed that it is the principal's
responsibility to thoroughly prepare the assistant principal
for the position.
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Two other authors, Bates and Shank (1983) suggested
changing the title of assistant principal to associate
principal. They felt this would allow more responsibility
to be associated with the position. They felt that the
associate position would provide an excellent training
ground for the principalship because it would provide more
responsibility for the .chool's operation.
Howley (1985) felt much stronger about the assistant
principal's position stating that "one does not aspire to
become an assistant or vice principal. One aspires to
become a vice principal to become something else" (p. 88).
He saw the position totally as a stepping stone or training
ground.
One other study, that of Austin and Brown (1970),
showed that 80% of all assistant principals advanced to
other administrative positions whereas 29% to 39% expected
to remain in the assistant principal's position as a career.
This appears to indicate that the position was viewed
primarily as a stepping stone. However, this study was done
some 20 years ago, and much has changed since that time.
Six other articles also dealt with the issue of the
assistant principalship as a training ground and also
questioned whether or not principals were helpful in this
area. Rodrick (1986), Brown and Rentschler (1973),
Greenfield (1985a), Kelly (1987), Austin (1972) and Gross,
Shapiro, and Meehan (1980) all shared views regarding this
issue.
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Brown and Rentschler, in their study in 1973, stated
that "in far too many cases the principal has given little
or no thought to preparing the assistant for the top job,
assigning discipline as his number one responsibility"
(p. 38). Greenfield (1985a) found that the role of the
assistant principal is to serve as a transition position for
those who are going from the classroom to an administrative
position.
Marshall, Mitchell, Gross, and Scott (1992) saw the
assistant principalship as "a major recruitment position for
the principalship and other administrative positions"
(p. 80). They, along with Gaertner (1970) and Marshall and
Greenfield (1985), showed that "most principals have served
as assistant principals" (p. 80). Marshall, Mitchell,
Gross, and Scott (1992) further stated that most assistant
principals viewed the position as one where one learned
skills and proved oneself, and most had an idea where they
wanted to be in the future. This study showed that only
four of the 20 subjects (20%) involved in the study wanted
to remain in the position of assistant principal. Three of
these 20 were men who were content with their positions
since they had control of their time and enjoyed their
assignments. The one woman defined herself as a career
person who felt that her personality was better fitted for
the assistant principalship. She did not want the pressures
or stresses that the principalship holds. Another finding
of this study was that 43% of the men elected to remain in
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the assistant principal position while only 8% of the women
saw this as a career end. This, however, may be skewed
since the subjects were not randomly selected (Marshall, et
al, 1992).
Rodrick (1986) questioned whether principals really do
provide assistants with opportunities that will increase
their chances of becoming good principals. Rodrick (1986)
along with Shockley and Smith (1981) felt that principals
sometimes give assistant principals the jobs they do not
want to do. Kelly (1987) agreed with the study by Austin
and Brown of 1970 where eight assistant principals looked
upon the position as a preparation for the principalship.
She further agreed that most assistant principals spent time
at tasks they would not perform as principals, and she did
not see the assistant principalship as providing adequate
training for the principalship.
The trio of Gross, Shapiro and Meehan (1980) viewed the
assistant principalship as a stepping stone much differently
than did the other researchers and authors. They found that
due to current trends and happenings, the assistant
principalship is seen in a different light than it was just
a few years ago. Long considered merely a 'stepping stone'
to the principalship, many assistant principals are now
staying in their positions for longer lengths of time due to
reduced mobility and closed schools. Many are satisfied
with what the job has to offer and are content to remain in
the position as the number two person in charge. Because of
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this, "some schools have sought to 'enlarge' the
assistantship by including in it a variety of functions to
provide satisfaction and reward to the job holder" (p. 27).
The Assistant Principalship as a Career Goal
It appears as the 1990s begin that this particular view
has come around once again. Many assistant principals
appear content with their positions and are not seeking the
position of a principalship or of a higher administrative
office. Two 1991 studies addressed this issue of the
assistant principalship as a career goal.
Studies by Calabrese end Tucker-Ladd (1991) and also by
Pellicer and Stevenson (1991) recognized that the assistant
principalship can be either a stepping stone to a higher
administrative office or a career commitment. Calabrese and
Tucker-Ladd recognized that principals have both personal
and professional responsibilities to the assistant principal
regardless of whether the assistant principal views the
position of assistant principal as a stepping stone or a
career commitment. Pellicer and Stevenson (1991) looked at
it as a career goal. There are various reasons given by
Pellicer and Stevenson (1991) concerning the assistant
principalship as a career goal. Among these reasons are
that persons in principalships are remaining in them longer;
that many of today's assistant principals are the same age
as the principals; and that principals are satisfied with
their career choices and are not looking for change.
Contemporary Views of the Assistant Principal's Roles
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and Responsibilities
Much information is available through research and
other articles about the duties and responsibilities of
assistant principals. Although some literature focuses on
the ambiguities found in the assistant principalship
(Greenfield, 1985b), much of the available literature deals
with what appear to be the major functions of assistant
principals. Although assistant principals supervise a wide
range of duties, and each day holds something different, the
average assistant principal does not have a clearly defined
list of duties and responsibilities. As Marshall (1992),
Black (1980), and Reed and Conners (1982) have all stated,
there is no consistent, well-defined job description,
delineation of duties, or way of evaluating outcomes from
accomplished tasks Sometimes, this creates frustration.
However, the most common duties of the assistant principal
as seen in many studies are student discipline, student
attendance, and student activity.
Bates and Shank (1983) said that "When students,
parents, or assistant principals themselves are asked to
describe the assistant principal's job, a common response is
'discipline, attendance, and supervision of student
activities'" (p. 112). The assistant principal is
"perceived to be a technician . . . based on the number of
jobs the principal does not wish to do or on the amount of
authority the principal wil. share or relinquish" (p. 113).
The Assistant Principals Commission (1980) said that
24
23
the role of the assistant principal varies greatly from
school to school depending upon school needs and
enrollments, strengths of personnel filling these positions,
and the characteristics of the administrative team. They
feel that it is impossible to provide a single definition of
the many varied duties performed by the assistant principal.
This position paper further stated that "many assistant
principals [sic] primary duties are to act as a clerk of
attendance and a disciplinarian" (p. 2).
Schatzman and Strauss (1973) and Reed and Himmler
(1985) also looked at the roles and responsibilities of the
assistant principal. Schatzman and Strauss (1973) showed
the top three responsibilities of the assistant principal to
be student discipline, student activities, and student
attendance. Reed and Himmler (1985) found that discipline
took precedence over other assignments.
Miller and Lieberman (1982) and Mitchell (1980) took
the same stand. Miller and Lieberman (1982) stated that
"though usually associated with school discipline, the role
of the assistant principal varies from school to school" (p.
362). Mitchell (1980) saw discipline as a major function of
assistant principals but he related how through discipline
the assistant principal's role changes to that of
disciplinarian counselor, and sometimes, to mediator.
Gorton (1987) also agreed that discipline is the major
responsibility of most assistant principals, whereas Austin
(1972) found that assistant principals have two common
25
24
functions--discipline and attendance. Apart from this, he
found no job description available.
Stall other authors made similar studies with similar
results. Smith (1987) stated that less than a decade ago,
secondary school assistant principals were associated
primarily with discipline and attendance; Brown and
Rentschler (1973) said discipline was the assistant
principal's number one responsibility; and Kelly (1987) said
that the eight assistant principals studied by Austin and
Brown in 1970, described discipline as a negative, unending,
relentless, and unchanging duty. Gross, Shapiro, and Meehan
(1980); Greenfield (1985a); and Howley (1985) also listed
discipline as a major function or high priority of the
assistant principal.
Three later studies also showed discipline to be a
major function of assistant principals. Buckner and Jones
(1990) stated tha :. assistant principals have limited
responsibilities and that discipline and bus duty are often
among the top responsibilities; Nickerson and Rissmann-Joyce
(1991) found that assistant principals often become
frustrated acting only as disciplinarians; and Hassenpflug
(1991) stated that she was once told that the assistant
principal had five major responsibilities: disciplining
students, distributing textbooks, supervising the cafeteria,
assigning lockers, and attending student activities.
Hassenpflug further stated that many of these tasks could be
handled by other personnel.
26
25
Other works on assistant principals present the duties
and responsibilities of the assistant principal in different
ways. Rather than listing discipline, attendance, and
student activities as the three major functions of an
assistant principal, these men and women listed all of the
competencies and roles they saw as duties and
responsibilities of the assistant principal. These men and
women shared many of the same duties and responsibilities;
yet, they also listed some different ones. They also saw
things from different perspectives depending on with whom
they spoke and the questions asked in the studies. Many
also provided job descriptions for assistant principals
based upon the competencies and roles played by assistant
principals in the areas they studied.
In 1980, the National Association of Secondary School
Principals published an article entitled "Job Description
for the Assistant Principal" in their Bulletin. After an
examination of many job descriptions, the study divided the
duties and responsibilities of the assistant principal into
five major areas including administration, teaching
personnel, student personnel, curriculum, and external
relations. Each of these five areas contains different
duties and responsibilities.
Administration, aJcording to the job description of
1980, included the following duties and responsibilities for
the assistant principal: (a) serve as the principal in the
absence of the principal, (b) follow school and district
27
26
policy, (c) assist in preparing the budget, (d).prepare a
school calendar complete with school activities,
(e) maintain an inventory, and (f) arrange bus duties and
schedules. Teaching personnel included observation and
evaluation of teachers and preparation of teacher handbooks;
student personnel consisted of discipline, supervising
guidance, and being highly visible. The area of curriculum
included curriculum revision and improving and supervising
the testing program; and external relations involved working
with community agencies, law enforcement, judicial
personnel, and getting out news releases to media persons.
Kriekard and Norton in 1980 and in 1987, conducted
research studies centering on the competencies or roles of
the assistant principal. Norton and Kriekard (1987) found
and verified both real and ideal competencies for the
assistant principal. Real competencies included those
actually performed by the assistant principal whereas ideal
competencies were those that the assistant principal should
perform in order to be more efficient. Kriekard and Nortcn
(1980) found that the problem of defining the assistant
principal's role was due in part to the limited attention
given to studying this role because some people fail to see
the significance of the role. They based their studies on
one done by the National Association of Secondary School
Principals and presented six major task areas of the
assistant principalship. The six areas consisted of: (a)
school management, (b) staff personnel, (c) community
28
relations, (d) student activities, (e) curriculum and
instruction, and (f) pupil personnel items. Within each
task area, certain competencies were found. The areas and
their competencies included:
School management--The competencies include the ability
to manage time, prioritize responsibilities, and attend to
details; to organize, coordinate, and delegate authority; to
prepare a budget; to fill in for the principal when
necessary; and to have effective communication skills.
Staff personnel--This includes competencies ranging
from being able to select, observe, and evaluate both
certified and classified employees to organizing and
administering extra classroom activities. It also includes
managing counseling and guidance programs and conducting
professional growth activities.
Community relations--The assistant principal is to
develop and maintain effective communications through as
many means of contact as is possible.
Curriculum and instruction--The assistant principal
should prepare and go by the master schedule; utilize
various methods of curriculum evaluation; and communicate
clearly with feeder schools.
Student activities--This area should include managing
student activity accounts; organizing and supervising
student organizations; supervising the athletic programs;
planning facility4use; and maintaining the master schedule.
Pupil personnel items--This includes managing and
29
28
supervising attendance procedures; assuming responsibility
for all student management procedures, such as discipline;
and managing the guidance and counseling programs.
Marshall and Greenfield (1987) found that assistant
principals are working to maintain organizational stability.
Some of the assistant principal's duties include
supervision, monitoring, support, and remediation.
Remediation, according to Marshall and Greenfield (1987),
refers to discipline. They felt that the assistant
principal must ensure that student behavior conforms to and
meets school rules and regulations and is acceptable. Among
the tools they listed for use by the assistant principal are
contacting parents, assigning extra work, suspension, parent
conferences, and expulsion. The roles of assistant
principals as seen by Marshall and Greenfield (1987) are
drill sergeant, bully, mother superior, and empathizer.
Four areas were listed as primary roles of the
assistant principal by Potter (1980). These areas include
the following: (a) instruction, teacher evaluation, and in-
service; (b) attendance and discipline; (c) vocational
education and plant management; and (d) athletics and
activities. Fulton (1987) also divided the coApetencies of
the assistant principal into four categories: administrative
relationships, teacher relationships, student relationships,
and community relationships. Under administrative
relationships, Fulton found that an assistant principal
should be able to complete a master schedule; do a budget;
30
29
coordinate a master calendar of all school activities and
events; coordinate transportation; work with testing; work
with law enforcement; and carry out policies of the
principal, school district, and state. Teacher
relationships include observation and evaluation, duties and
responsibilities assignments, interviewing prospective
employees, and academic responsibilities. Discipline,
morale, enthusii-Lsm, and school spirit fall into the student
relationships area, whereas community relationships rest in
familiarity, communication, and maintaining high visibility.
Kelly (1987) in reviewing the study by Austin and Brown
(1970), determined the assistant principal's major functions
as "looking after professional inservice work; the co-
curricular program; building operations and maintenance; and
student personnel services, particularly discipline and
attendance" (p. 14). The Austin and Brown study in 1970
found 21 duties common to the assistant principals involved
in their study. These 21 duties include: responsibilities
of the principal in the absence of the principal; student
programming; discipline; attendance; alternative education
program; locks and lockers; co-curricular, program; student
council; building superintendent and maintenance; textbook
rental; parking; fire drills; school pictures; graduation;
announcements; awards; supplies; staff support; exam
scheduling and supervision; junior high promotion decisions
and report cards. Assistant principals also assist with the
budget, time tables, and monthly and yearly reports.
31
30
Rodrick (1986) listed the typical tasks of assistant
principals as supervising bus loading and unloading;
listening to teachers' explanations of problems they are
having with students; checking with parents about students'
attendance; informing teachers of changes in students'
placements; hearing students describe their difficulties
with teachers and other students; consulting with counselors
and/or psychologists; writing notes responding to teachers'
inquiries; assessing behavior, achievement, and attendance;
observing in the cafeteria; and checking the restrooms.
The Assistant Principals Commission (1980) in its
position paper stressed five major areas of professional
responsibility of assistant principals: students,
administrative team, staff, curriculum, and community. It
further stated that the assistant principal's first priority
must be for the students and their growth and that the
assistant principal must be a full fledged member of the
administrative team, partners with the principal, curriculum
coordinator, assistant superintendent, and superintendent
and involved in the recruiting and hiring of personnel. The
assistant principal should also assist in planning and
developing the curriculum and the co-curricular programs and
be involved in community relations.
Reed and Himmler (1985) in reviewing the study done by
Schatzman and Strauss (1973) said that the assistant
principal spends a lot of his or her time on three aspects
of supervision during the school day when the students are
32
31
present. These three activities are monitoring, supporting,
and remediating or disciplining. Monitoring involves
surveying the school for signs that student conduct complies
with and conforms to the rules and regulations and values of
the school; support largely involves engaging in activities
that reinforce student conduct with respect to school
values. Remediation revolves around activities that
transform student misconduct into conduct accepted by and
complying with school values.
Hess (1985), Gorton and Kattman (1985), and Black
(1980) also listed duties and responsibilities of assistant
principals. Hess stated that there is an endless stream of
organizational tasks that make up the work of the assistant
principal. This work may range from student discipline to
supervision of maintenance to development of reports and
staff evaluation--all within the same working day.
Gorton and Kattman (1985) looked at assistant
principals on the elementary level, but the list is similar
to the duties and responsibilities of secondary school
assistant principals. The main duties of the elementary
assistant principal include administering student
discipline, supervising substitute teachers, providing
instructional materials, and establishing teachers' duty
rosters. They found that assistant principals also want
more responsibility in the areas of orienting new teachers
and planning teachers' in-service programs, conducting
student orientations and developing the school calendars,
33
32
developing curriculum and selecting textbooks, and
administering public relations programs and deciding school
policy.
Black (1980) conducted a study in Baltimore, Maryland
to classify the roles of the secondary school assistant
principal there. The study found six major areas covered by
assistant principals--instruction, personnel, pupil
personnel, student activities, professional development, and
school management. Thirty-four duties were found in these
six areas. Supervisors, peers, and subordinates agreed on
some duties of the assistant principal. These people
"agreed that the assistant principal should have
considerable to total involvement in" (p. 35) certain areas.
These areas as quoted by the research include:
supervising student behavior in buildings and
on grounds,
conferring with parents regarding their
students' problems,
dealing with individual student discipline
problems,
arranging professional meetings,
helping to arrange and organize a school
schedule,
assisting new teachers in the system, and
initiating some flexible scheduling (p. 35).
These same people also disagreed on a number of duties
and responsibilities. Among the duties and responsibilities
34
33
disagreed upon are supervising athletic and nonathletic
events, reading professional literature, and counseling with
teachers regarding their personal problems.
Smith (1987) conducted his study with assistant
principals in Washington State. He sent the questionnaire
to secondary school assistant principals, principals,
directors of secondary education, and district
superintendents. Assistant principals in Smith's study
included the following among the duties and responsibilities
of the assistant principal:
supervising student behavior in buildings and
on grounds,
dealing with student discipline problems,
helping with attendance,
supervising athletic activities,
visiting classroom to supervise teachers,
acting as a liaison with community agencies, and
working with guidance counselors.
Higher level administrators in Smith's study (1987) saw t!Le
assistant principals' duties and responsibilities
differently. These administrators included the following
among the assistant principal's duties:
supervising student behavior in building and on
grounds,
dealing with individual student discipline
problems,
35
34
conferring with parents regarding student
problems,
reading professional literature,
consulting with guidance counselors,
attending professional meetings,
helping arrange and organize a school schedule,
visiting classrooms to supervise teachers,
helping with attendance, and
acting as a liaison with community agencies.
Reed and Conners (1982) found the primary duties to be
discipline including counseling, supervision of students
when they are not in class, coordination of the extra
curricular program, and the school activity calendar; Brown
and Rentschler (1973) listed discipline, building
maintenance, school activities, student personnel services,
curriculum, athletics, and staff recruitment as being among
the duties and responsibilities of the assistant prinrlipal.
Panyako and Rorie (1987) said the assistant principal
traditionally deals with "supervision of buses, cafeteria,
student lockers, sports events, fund raising, buildings and
grounds, and student behavior management (commonly known as
discipline)" (p. 6).
Hunter (1990) believed that assistant principals should
do more than solve discipline problems. Hunter wished to
see assistant principals spend more time working with
students and teachers to reduce and, perhaps, prevent
discipline problems. This researcher felt that the
36
35
principal should encourage the assistant principal to become
more involved in classroom management and in instructional
leadership.
Three articles have taken a recent look at the
assistant principalship. Calabrese and Tucker-Ladd (1991)
stated that the assistant principal is viewed by teachers
and the principal as the first line of support when
classroom behavior becomes unacceptable. Calabrese (1991),
in another article, said as a former assistant principal,
that regardless of the other roles filled by an assistant
principal, the school board, principal, teachers, students,
and community all still viewed and evaluated the assistant
principal as a disciplinarian. Calabrese found that the
current duties of the assistant principal include
disciplinarian, instructional leader, change agent,
prescriptive agent, ethical model, motivator, community
relations agent, care agent, and innovator.
Pellicer and Stevenson (1991) stated that the assistant
principal's duties range from "student discipline and
arranging school dances to guiding curriculum development
and evaluating teachers" (p. 60), but "student discipline is
still the number one responsibility of high school assistant
principals" (p. 61). Pellicer and Stevenson saw the
following as the top ten duties and responsibilities of
current assistant priAcipals: student discipline, teacher
evaluation, student attendance, school policies, special
arrangements for the opening and closing of school, school
37
36
master schedule, emergency arrangements, instructional
methods, school-related building use, and orientation of new
students.
Two studies, one by Greenfield (1985a) and one by
Austin (1972), found that job descriptions for assistant
principals are hard to come by and practically nonexistent.
Another study by Glant (1987), in a rather light-hearted
manner, told those who were aspiring to be assistant
principals about some of the duties they could expect.
Among some of the things she listed are the ability to
change locker combinations, fill pop machines, work the
P.A., give students "the look" and receive an instant hush,
write notes and memos, serve on curriculum committees, and
be referred to by teachers as "they". While these may not
be considered actual "responsibilities" of an assistant
principal, these are often responsibilities that must be
handled by the assistant principal. Yet, these so-called
responsibilities are things that can be handled by almost
anyone in the field of education. It appears in this
article that the position of assistant principal often is
used as a catch-all position and that the person serving as
assistant principal should be able to handle a variety of
activities and situations. The article, however, did bring
some much needed humor to the subject.
Garawski (1978) looked at job satisfaction and
dissatisfaction. He found the highest degrees of job
satisfaction in the areas of teacher evaluation,
38
37
supervision, and preparation of the school master schedule.
Dissatisfactions ranged from salary and having supervisors
take credit for their work, to being perceived negatively by
faculty in reference to the handling of discipline problems.
Black (1980) asked questions of assistant principals to
determine the most satisfying and the least satisfying
aspects of their job. To these questions the following
answers were given. The best part of the job, according to
60% of the respondents, is working with teachers and
department heads in improving and modifying the
instructional program. The worst part is four fold:
handling disciplinary cases, cafeteria duty, hall duty, and
disciplining large masses of students.
Three other studies looked at ways of improving the
assistant principalship listing ideas that might help.
These studies by Howley (1985), Erickson (1985) and Gorton
(1987) had the following things to say. Howley said that
certain changes are needed if anyone is to reach one's
potential while in the assistant principalship. These
changes include involving the assistant principal in
decision making, in preparing schedules, in drawing budgets,
and in developing curriculum. Erickson (1985) found that
changes should be made slowly, that the administrator is not
one of the teachers, and that leadership must be earned.
Gorton (1987) made four suggestions for maximizing the
assistant principal's leadership: expanding the job,
39
38
becomin.:( an advocate, increasing the rewards, and
facilitating professional growth.
Marshall and Greenfield (1987) stated that assistan'
principals are thrown into administrative roles without
proper orientation. Panyako and Rorie (1987) said that
"traditionally, the assistant principal has been less well-
versed in school administration and management than the
principal" (p. 6) and that they are thus being "assigned"
lesser administrative details. Marshall and Greenfield
(1987) found that new administrators must find ways to cope
with their positions and, at the same time, learn to hide
their shock regarding what they do not know.
Staff (1988) cOnducted a study among assistant
principals and principals in the state of Michigan. The
study looked at the responsibilities and authority of the
secondary school assistant principal. One hundred fifty-two
schools participated in the study. Results were obtained
through the development and distribution of a questionnaire
composed of several demographic questions and 65 tasks to be
rated on a five point scale from no authority or
responsibility to sole authority or responsibility. The
following is a list of those things included in the
assistant principal's work load:
supervising the school in the absence of the
principal,
monitoring student attendance,
. monitoring student behavior,
4 0
39
dealing with student behavior,
disciplining students,
coordinating activities for student awareness of
discipline code,
supervising student's discipline code,
planning pre- and post-observation conferences,
consulting with parents and students,
rewarding students for acceptable behavior, and
conducting pre- and post-observation conferences.
Calabrese (1991) found assistant principals in
effective schools to be dynamic, enthusiastic, creative, and
caring. He stated that there is little support for the role
of the traditional assistant principal, that researchers
belittle the role, that principals ignore the talents of the
assistant principal, and that educational organization
experts try to discover alternatives. Calabrese believed
that the assistant principal fits into the world of
teachers, students, parents, and administration with
apparent ease. Pellicer and Stevenson (1991) agreed stating
that the assistant principal is a vital part of the school
leadership team, and as qualified as the principal in terms
of knowledge, skills, and experience brought to the job.
Panyako and Rorie (1987) summed it up very well when
they said that "as schools have become more complex and
taken on more of societies [sic] 'cultural demands', it has
become necessary for school leadership systems to consider
redefining the assistant principalship" (p. 8). Modern
41
40
assistant principals are just as much educated as the
principal, and in some cases, have a lot of on-the-job
experience. Today's assistant principal has been
indoctrinated in school management; school law; educational
and psychological measurement; staff supervision and
evaluation; and effective communication with students,
parents, and the community.
Summary
This chapter has examined the literature and found many
and varied duties and responsibilities carried out by
assistant principals. While there is no conclusive evidence
that there is a set of duties and responsibilities for the
assistant principal, 26 of the authors related 20 duties
common to the assistant principal. These duties include
discipline, attendance, student activities, staff support
and evaluation, building supervision, guidance, co-
curricular activities, athletics, community agencies, master
schedules, fill in for principal, building operations,
budget, reports, transportation, curriculum, communications,
cafeteria, school calendar, and locks and lockers. Table 1
(p. 54) provides a summary of the authors' perceptions of
the most common duties and responsibilities of the assistant
principal.
TABLE 1
A Summary of the Authors' Most Common Responsibilities ofthe Assistant Principal
AUTHORS RESPONSIBILITIESDiscip. Atten. Stud. Staff Bldg.
42
41
Activ. SuDDo. Su er.
Brown and Rentchler(1973)
X X X X
Black (1980)
Assistant PrincipalsCommission (1980)
X X
Job Description(1980)
X X X
Mitchell (1980) X
Potter (1980) X
Kriekard and Norton(1980)
X X X
Reed and Conners(1982)
X X X
Miller and Lieberman(1982)
X
Bates and Shank(1985)
X X X
Hess (1985)
TABLE 1 Continued
AUTHORS RESPONSIBILITIESDiscip. Atten. Stud. Staff Bldg.
Activ. Suppo. Super.
Reed and Himmler(1985)
X X X
Gorton and Kattman(1985)
X
Greenfield (1985) X X
Marshall andGreenfield (1985)
X X X X
Rodrick (1986) X X
Panyako and Rorie(1986)
X X
Fulton (1987) X X
Smith (1987) X X X X
43
42
Gorton (1987) X 11 I
Kelly (1987) X X X X X
Buckner and Jones(1990)
X
Nickerson andRissmann-Joyce (1991)
X
Calabrese (1991) X
Pellicer andStevenson (1991)
X X X X
Marshall (1992) X X X
4 4
43
TABLE 1 Continued
A Summary of the Authors' Most Common Responsibilities ofthe Assistant Principal
AUTHORS RESPONSIBILITIESGuid. Cocurr. Athle. Comm. Master
Activ. Agenc. Sched.
Brown and Rentchler(1973)
X
Black (1980) X
Assistant PrincipalsCommission (1980)
X
Job Description(1980)
X X
Mitchell (1980)
Potter (1980)
Kriekard and Norton(1980)
X X X X X
Reed and Conners(1982)
X
Miller and Lieberman(1982)
Bates and Shank(1985)
Hess (1985)
Reed and Himmler(1985)
X X X
Gorton and Kattman(1985)
Greenfield (1985)
Marshall andGreenfield (1985)
X
Rodrick (1986)
Panyako and Rorie(1987)
X
Fulton (1987) X X X X
Smith (1987) X X
Gorton (1987)
44TABLE 1 Continued
AUTHORS RESPONSIBILITIESGuid. Cocurr. Athle. Comm. Master
Activ. Agenc. Sched.
Kelly (1987) X X
Buckner and Jones(1990)
Nickerson andRissmann-Joyce (1991)
Calabrese (1991) X
Pellicer andStevenson (1991)
X
Marshall (1992) X
4C
45
TABLE I Continued
A Summary of the Authors' Most Common Responsibilities ofthe Assistant Principal
AUTHORS RESPONSIBILITIESFill In Bldg. Budget Report Trans.Prin. Oper.
Brown and Rentchler(1973)
Black (1980)
Assistant PrincipalsCommission (1980)
Job Description(1980)
X
Mitchell (1980)
Potter (1980)
Kriekard and Norton(1980)
X
Reed and Conners(1982)
Miller and Lieberman(1982)
Bates and Shank(1985)
Hess (1985)
Reed and Himmler(1985)
Gorton and Kattman(1985)
Greenfield (1985)
Marshall andGreenfield (1985)
Rodrick (1986)
Panyako and Rorie(1987)
X
Fulton (1987)
Smith (1987)
Gorton (1987)
47
46
TABLE 1 Continued
AUTHORS RESPONSIBILITIESFill In Bldg. Budget Report Trans.Prin. Oper.
Kelly (1987) X X X X
Buckner and Jones(1987)
X
Nickerson andRissmann-Joyce (1991)
Calabrese (1991)
Pellicer andStevenson (1991)
Marshall (1992)
48
47
TABLE 1 Continued
A Summary of the Authors' Most Common Responsibilities ofthe Assistant Principal
AUTHORS RESPONSIBILITIESCurr. Comm. Cafe. Calen. Locks
Brown and Rentchler(1973)
X
Black (1980)
Assistant PrincipalsCommission (1980)
X
Job Description(1980)
X
Mitchell (1980)
Potter (1980) X
Kriekard and Norton(1980)
X
Reed and Conners(1982)
X
Miller and Lieberman(1982)
Bates and Shank(1985)
Hess (1985)
Reed and Himmler(1985)
Gorton and Kattman(1985)
Greenfield (1985)
Marshall andGreenfield (1985)
Rodrick (1986) X
Panyako and Rorie(1987)
X X
Fulton (1987) X X
Smith (1987)
Gorton (1987)
49
48
TABLE 1 Continued
AUTHORS RESPONSIBILITIESCurr. Comm. Cafe. Calen. Locks
Kelly (1987) X
Buckner and Jones(1987)
Nickerson andRissmann-Joyce (1991)
Calabrese (1991)
Pellicer andStevenson (1991)
X
Marshall (1992) X
It is an impossibility, according to the literature,
for one person to carry out all of the duties and
responsibilities listed herein. The literature further
shows that the principal largely determines the duties and
responsibilities of the assistant principal, and that
although the position of assistant principal is considered
by many to be a stepping stone to the principalship, it is
also considered by others to be a bona fide administrative
career position in and of itself.
References
Aieta, R., Barth, R., & O'Brien, S. (1988). The principalin the year 2000: A teacher's wish. NASSP Bulletin,62, 18-19.
The Assistant Principals Commission. (1980). The Role ofthe Assistant Principal. Madison, Wisconsin:Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, 1980.
Austin, D. B. (1972). The assistant principal--whatdoes he do? Theory In Practice, 11 (1), 68-72.
Austin, D. B., & Brown, H. L., Jr. (1970). Report of theassistant principalship of the study of the secondaryschool principalship. Reston, VA: NationalAssociation of Secondary School Principals.
Bainbridge, W. S. (1989). Survey research: A computer-assisted introduction. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Bates, R. C., & Shank, J.G. (1983). The associateprincipalship: A better more effective way to manageschools. NASSP Bulletin, 67 (462), 111-114.
Black, A.B. (1980). Clarifying the role of the assistantprincipal. NASSP Bulletin, 64 (436), 33-39.
Blumberg, A. & Greenfield, W. (1980). The effectiveprincipal. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Boyer, R. (1991). Open letter to all principals--Is yourassistant principal an 'allegator slayer' or a 'swampdrainer'? NASSP AP Special Newsletter, 7 (1), 1,7.
Brown, G. J., & Rentschler, J. E. (1973). Why don'tassistant principals get the principalship? NASSPBulletin, 57 (375), 36-47.
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Buckner, K., & Jones, L. (1990). In search of strongadministrators--A worthy investment. NASSP Bulletin,74 (529), 20-25.
Calabrese, R. L. (1991). Effective assistant principals:What do they do? NASSP Bulletin, 75 (533), 51-57.
Calabrese, R. L., & Tucker-Ladd, P. R. (1991). Theprincipal and the assistant principal: A mentoringrelationship. NASSP Bulletin, 75 (533), 67-74.
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Erickson, H. L. (1985). Conflict and the femaleprincipal. Phi Delta Kappan, 67, 288-291.
Farris, P. J. (1989). Why Atilla the Hun would havemade a great principal. Principal, 69 (2), 41-42.
Fulton, 0. K. (1987). Basic competencies of theassistant principal. NASSP Bulletin, 71 (501), 52-54.
Gaertner, K. N. (1970). The structure of careers in publicschool administration. Administrator's Notebook, 27,1.
Garawski, R. A. (1978). The assistant principal: Hisjob satisfaction and organizational potency. TheClearing House, 52 (1), 8-10.
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Glant, L. (1987). On becoming an assistant principal.NASSP Bulletin, 71 (501), 21-22.
Goodlad, J. I. (1983). A place called school. Montreal:McGraw-Hill Book Co.
Gorton R. A. (1987). Improving the assistant principalship:The principal's contribution. NASSP Bulletin, 71 (501),1-4.
Gorton, R., & Kattman, B. (1985). The assistant principal:An underused asset. Principal, 65 (36), 39-40.
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Greenfield, W.D. (1985a). Studies of the assistantprincipalship: Toward new avenues of inquiry.Education and Urban Society, 18 (1), 7-17.
Greenfield, W. D. (1985b). Developing an instructionalrole for the assistant principal. Education andUrban Society, 18 (1), 85-92.
Gross, R. A., Shapiro, M., & Meehan, J. (1980). Howthe management team concept can succeed. NASSPBulletin, 64 (436), 26-28.
Hartzell, G. N. (1991). Induction of experienced assistantprincipals. NASSP Bulletin, 75 ;533), 75-84.
Hassenpflug, A. (1991). Commentary: What is the role ofthe assistant principal? NASSP AP Special Newsletter,7 (1), 1, 7.
Hess, F. (1985). The socialization of the assistantprincipal from the perspective of the local schooldistrict. Education and Urban Society, 18 (1), 93-106.
Howley, P. (1985). The assistant principalship--Changes,speculations offered. NASSP Bulletin, 69 (477), 88-89.
Hunter, D. (1990). How to increase assistant principal'sinvolvement in class management. NASSP Bulletia, 74,4.
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Kelly, G. (1987). The assistant principalship as atraining ground for the principalship. NASSP Bulletin,71 (501), 13-20.
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LaRose, L. (1987). Professional development for newassistant principals. Educational Leadership, 44,49-51.
Lipham, J. M. & Hoeh, J. A. (1974). The principalship:Foundations and functions. New York: Harper & Row.
McIntyre, K. (1988). How to increase the assistantprincipal's effectiveness. NASSP Tips for Principals,(6), 1.
Manatt, R. (1989). Principal evaluation is largelywrongheaded and ineffective. Executive Educator,11 (11), 22-23.
Marshall, C. (1990). The role of the assistant principal.In C. Marshall (Ed.), Hot Topic Series (p. iii).Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappan Center on Evaluation,Development, and Research.
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Marshall, C., & Greenfield, W. (1987). The dynamics in theenculturation and the work of the assistantprincipalship. Urban Education, 22 (1), 36-52.
Marshall, C., & Mitchell, B. (1991). The assumptive worldsof fledgling administrators. Education and urbanSociety, 23 (4), 396-415.
Marshall, C., Mitchell, B., Gross, R., & Scott, D. (1992).The assistant principalship: A career position or astepping stone to the principalship? NASSP Bulletin,76 (540), 80-88.
Miller, L., & Lieberman, A. (1982). School leadershipbetween the cracks. Educational leadership, 39,362-267.
Mitchell, M. (1980). Assistant principals can be effectivecounselors, mediators, NASSP Bulletin, 64 (436), 29-33.
Nickerson, N. C., & Rissmann-Joyce, S. (1991). Assistantprincipal breaks from the past. NASSP Bulletin, 75(534), 102-104.
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Norton, M. S., & Kriekard, J. A. (1987). Real and idealcompetencies for the assistant principal. NASSPBulletin, 71 (501), 23-30.
Panyako, D., & Rorie, L. (1987). The changing role ofthe assistant principal, NASSP Bulletin, 71 (501),6-8.
Pellicer, L. 0. & Stevenson, K. R. (1991). The assistantprincipalship as a legitimate terminal careeralternative. NASSP Bulletin, 75 (533), 59-65.
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Potter, J. M., Jr. (1980). Enhancing the role of theassistant principal. NASSP Bulletin, 64 (436), 9-13.
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Reed, D. B., & Himmler, A. H. (1985). The work of thesecondary assistant principal: A field study.Urban Education, 18 (1), 59-84.
Rodrick, L. (1986). Working with assistant principlsto achieve maximum value. NASSP Bulletin, 70(487), 91-93.
Roe, W. H., & Drake, T. L. (1974). The principalship. NewYork: Macmillan.
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